Customer Reviews

"Silk Road" Black Tea Sampler

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this set and their green tea sampler, along with a ForLife single-mug infuser, and I now have really amazing tea whenever I want it. The 6 teas are all quite different, with a huge variety of scent and flavor. Each tin is labeled with the proper water temperature and steeping time. (Although they should add a relative strength and/or amount indicator.)

The amount is remarkably generous for the price, given that these are gourmet teas, with full-size uncut leaves. I've had large mugs of each tea probably 4 times already, and I'm no more than 1/3 of the way into each tin. The quality is so high, and the flavors so rich, I tend to refill each mug at least once, and get a second cup nearly as good as the first.

These sets are three excellent things in one: first, they're a perfect introduction to a range of fine teas, like getting a 6-bottle tasting at the best wine shop in the city. Second, along with a mug infuser and an electric kettle, they're the perfect way to enjoy good tea at the office, with tons of variety. Last, they're just a great deal on a sizable volume of really nice teas. (Think of the money you'll save over Starbucks at the office: I'm probably paying $.25 a mug for this tea, even without the refills...)

(To do these teas justice, do be sure to spend 5 minutes reading about tea preparation. Learn to "read" the ballpark temperature of the water, depending on how hard it's boiling. And pour just a little water over the leaves and let them sit for a few seconds before you add the rest of the water. This releases all the aromas in the tea, so you can get a better feel for the distinctness of each one. And don't over-steep: that'll turn your tea bitter and uninteresting, covering up the flavors. This all can sound nit-picky, but it really makes a difference in your enjoyment of the tea. It also turns it into a much more meditative, relaxing experience, which is the point of good tea, right?)

I'm a huge fan of Adagio teas. These teas really turned me onto loose teas, so I think they're some of the best. If you're new at loose tea, (beyond the typical store-bought stuff) I suggest you try the ceylon and the assam first. The Golden Monkey (or Golden Needle) is superb and if you're a fan of Darjeeling, try it. Lot of people love keemun -- and it's a very good tea. Pu erh takes a lot of getting used to -- and I can't stand it, so don't try this first unless you've have pu erh, and even then!

You will simply be amazed at this tea.

This was one of the assortments I started with on my first loose tea order. My favorites in this collection included the Ceylon Sonata and the Golden Monkey.

I feel this is a good place to start if you're looking to come off of low-quality store-bought tea bags. If you plan on making iced tea, I recommend getting flavored teas instead.

This was the set that got me started with loose teas- until I received this (and the Adagio IngenuiTEA) for Christmas, I only drank bagged teas. And I was missing out! Nine months later I'm amassed a collection of 70 loose teas and I'm obsessed.

Included in this set is a lovely range of flavors from basic to bold.
Included:
Golden Monkey
Assam Melody
Keemun Concerto
Yunnan Jig
Darjeeling #22
Ceylon Sonata

My favorites are golden monkey and assam melody. There's also yunnan jig (another favorite I ordered full-size), and a summer darjeeling (another I ordered full-size).

Sometimes Adagio mixes up the assortment a bit, but all of their teas are wonderful to try, so you really can't lose with this pack. Also, Aadagio now packages their teas in small zip-top pouches, not in the tins pictures, but the sample sizes are a bit larger with the pouches, so it's a fair trade-off.

My brewing advice with all of these teas- less is more. I LOVE strong tea but I quickly learned that with Adagio's teas, brewing over 3.5 minutes will turn your tea into a bitter concoction. I recommend starting out with 2 level teaspooons per 12-16 ounces of boiling water for 3.5 minutes (no more!) and then adding and subtracting tea to achieve the flavor you prefer.

Excellent sample of 6 Black teas from Adagio Teas. Have tried them all and the Darjeeling #22 is my favorite. It is very smooth and relaxing. The rest all fall in to my 2nd favorite position. I have shopped at Adagio and ordered more of all the teas in this sampler. Excellent for those who are just getting into teas. None are harsh or bitter.

I sent this tea sampler as a gift to my daughter-in-law and she enjoyed the tea .

So I will probably order them again.Thank you for making giving this gift such a

pleasant experience.

I've only recently switched over to loose leaf tea only I had never bought from this company before, but I definitely will be making larger purchases after trying this little sampler. I had gotten it so that I may try some flavors I had never had before and all of these were new to me except for the Darjeeling. I thought this was perfect for me. It was shipped quickly and even my friends were impressed when I had them try it.

The worst thing about buying tea is when you spend $10-15 and then end up hating the tea, this sampler is great because it lets you try just a little bit of 6 types of black tea before you dive into a larger purchase, plus the tins are the perfect size or traveling. This is great if you're just getting into tea or just now branching out into loose leaf.

I was given a wonderful brewing teapress as a gift and wanted some tea worthy of it, so I ordered the Adagio black tea sampler. As others have said, it is a very good introduction to black tea, and there was not one in the batch I did not enjoy (except for my complimentary sample of zodiac tea, which was gemini; the peach flavor is too intense for my taste). My two favorites were yunnan jig and ceylon sonata, and I reordered large bags of them, plus a sampler of new teas, which happened to include yunnan gold, an absolutely ambrosial but very expensive tea. Except for the price, I would have reordered it, too. I'll never go back to store-bought tea bags again. Adagio black teas are whole-leaf with real flavor (which airtight storage tins preserve very well) and will make you think about tea in a completely different way.

I bought this to try out some new teas and see if there was something I should be picking up locally. It was a pretty big waste, as most of the teas taste similar and are not very good to begin with. I'd recommend you find a different brand, or possibly find a local shop that can help you find teas that you'd enjoy.